With the knockout one-two punch of 1992's Reservoir Dogs and 1994's Pulp Fiction writer-director Quentin Tarantino stunned the filmmaking world, exploding into prominence as a cinematic heavyweight contender. But Pulp Fict... more &raquoion was more than just the follow-up to an impressive first feature, or the winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, or a script stuffed with the sort of juicy bubblegum dialogue actors just love to chew, or the vehicle that reestablished John Travolta on the A-list, or the relatively low-budget ($8 million) independent showcase for an ultrahip mixture of established marquee names and rising stars from the indie scene (among them Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Julia Sweeney, Kathy Griffin, and Phil Lamar). It was more, even, than an unprecedented $100-million-plus hit for indie distributor Miramax. Pulp Fiction was a sensation. No, it was not the Second Coming (I actually think Reservoir Dogs is a more substantial film; and P.T. Anderson outdid Tarantino in 1997 by making his directorial debut with two even more mature and accomplished pictures, Hard Eight and Boogie Nights). But Pulp Fiction packs so much energy and invention into telling its nonchronologically interwoven short stories (all about temptation, corruption, and redemption amongst modern criminals, large and small) it leaves viewers both exhilarated and exhausted--hearts racing and knuckles white from the ride. (Oh, and the infectious, surf-guitar-based soundtrack is tastier than a Royale with Cheese.) --Jim Emerson&laquo less

Movie Reviews

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?"

Michael Crane | Orland Park, IL USA | 09/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Words cannot express how much I love this movie, but I will try my best. "Pulp Fiction" is one of my favorites. Quentin Tarantino is a very gifted director/writer. Although I love his directing, I must say it is his writing that really impresses me. But I will get to that later on in this review.I think it's safe to say that the first time this movie was released on DVD, it was a little more than disappointing. There were no special features, sound and picture was so-so; I mean, my laserdisk at least had three different trailers of the movie. So, of course, I was very excited to learn that this movie was being re-released in a fully loaded special edition. Re-buying the movie was well worth it, for this edition of the movie is far superior than the other one.The movie really consists of three different stories; not in any order. Any one of the stories could be their own little movies. The players are two hitmen, a boxer, the big boss, the big boss' wife, a crazy gun store owner, a gimp, a cop named, Zed, a man who makes problems go away, and a little suitcase with "666" for the combination. You add all this together and you get one hell of a movie.The acting is more than superb; including one terrific cast with some heavy hitters (Travolta, Jackson, Thurman, Willis, etc.). Tarantino is a master when it comes to writing and directing. Especially when it comes to writing. I have never heard such clever and brutally honest dialogue in any other movie. I have said it before, and I will say it again; Tarantino reminds me of Raymond Carver, except with more humor.Now, on to the special edition of this DVD. Is it better than the previous version? YES! Tons of special features, and not to forget the fact that the movie has been restored in high definition. Picture looks very clear. And the sound is also a lot better. You can watch the movie in DTS, which is always a good thing.Special features.....where do I begin? There's a ton of them! It's not even funny how much stuff is loaded on this bad boy. And every one of them is great. Features include a documentary, an interview with Tarantino on "The Charlie Rose Show," trailers, filmographies, and many more. If you love special features, then you will not be disappointed."Pulp Fiction" is a great movie, and the new DVD edition is outstanding in every way. If you still have the older DVD of this movie, get this one now! If you haven't seen it yet, check it out when you can! Of course, with any other movie, there is a chance you may not like this movie. That's fine, nothing wrong with that. Don't let hype ruin your preception of the movie, just watch it as if it were any other movie. You like it, great; if not, well, at least you gave it a shot. Filled with sharp humor, great characters, outstanding dialogue, and some of the craziest surprises and twists, "Pulp Fiction" is a wonderful film, and will continue to be one of my favorites."

Pure Golden Pulp

JLind555 | 02/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Pulp Fiction" is like a novel with five chapters that was ripped apart and put back together with the chapters all mixed up in random order -- where does it start and where does it end? That said, it's a hilarious crazy-quilt of a movie, superbly directed by Quentin Tarantino. And yes, there is a straight story line throughout... chronologically, the actual story begins with Samuel Jackson and John Travolta on their way to a hit ordered by their boss Ving Rhames, and ends with Bruce Willis and his pregnant girlfriend zooming out of town on a homicidal maniac's stolen motorcycle. Each short story in the movie is complete in itself, and yet each makes up part of the whole. The actors are terrific. Jackson and Travolta are great as the two hitmen Jules and Vince; Uma Thurman is just right as the boss's wife; Bruce Willis is funny and yet moving as the boxer who saves the boss's life after the boss ordered a hit on him, and Harvey Keitel steals the whole movie with his performance as the almost inhumanly efficient Wolf. Even Tarantino himself can't resist joining the fun and plays the role of Jules's sometime partner Jimmie, very annoyed at being roused out of bed at the crack of dawn to help dispose of a semi-headless corpse. There are so many priceless scenes in this film that it's hard to pick a favorite. It's a wild, crazy, mind-boggling movie that gets better and better each time you watch it."

Pure Pulp

Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 10/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pulp Fiction was a groundbreaking film in a couple of different ways. It was an independent release and its success opened the door up for all kinds of maverick filmmakers and companies to release films that otherwise would have never been made. It also had a profound stylistic influence. It was a hip movie with sharp dialogue, graphic violence, cool soundtrack and intricate plotlines. In the wake of its success, many movies try to copy this style, but most failed as they lacked Quentin Tarantino's unique vision. Mr. Tarantino was able to pull John Travolta out of a decade long funk and directed him to the finest performance of his career and one that garnered his second Academy Award nomination. He also pushed Bruce Willis to a stellar performance that showed he was more than just an action hero. The cast is first rate including a beguiling Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stolz, Rosanna Arquette and Christopher Walken. The best performance of all is given by Samuel L. Jackson who is absolutely amazing. It was a crime that he did not win the Academy Award for the role. Pulp Fiction is broken up into three parts and includes flashbacks, flash-forwards and twists and turns and some mysteries that are never revealed. It is a rare film that is both stylish and full of substance. The new Collector's Edition is a huge step up from the original edition which offered virtually no extras. The sound and visuals are crisper and cleaner and the extra features are great. One excellent extra is a Siskel & Ebert show dedicated to the Tarantino phenonmeon, which looking at it eight years later is quite interesting."

Pulp fans demand a better DVD, PUNCHY!

dvitoc | chicago | 02/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is of course the best film ever made. I own the DVD, but can't understand the shortage of extras. The laserdisc format has plenty of extras. For example it has the tralior and T.V. spots. Behind the scenes, the Making of Pulp, the Charlie Rose interview with QT, and four deleted scenes hosted by QT. Why couldn't we get those with the DVD format. Hopefully in the near future, a re-release of the DVD will include these goodies and maybe perhaps a Tarantino-Bender commentary track and a director's cut of the complete film. The current DVD provides average picture and sound. It is the best movie ever made and gets better each time you watch it. You will also find out new things every time you view it. For instance, the gun on Butch's counter didn't belong to Vincent, it belonged to Wallace. Remember, Jules had already quit. Butch doesn't have any intention in throwing the fight until Vincent picks a fight with him. It's true, go back and watch how Butch acts while talking with Wallace and then how mad he gets when Vincent starts with him. Plus Fabeine is pregnant in the movie, listen very closely to what she says. The movie also has a comic side to it. I think it's funny how Vincent basically caused everything in the movie. Just think, Vincent caused Mia's overdose by purchasing heroine from Lance, in the first chapter. In the second chapter, "The Gold Watch," Vincent picks a fight with Butch. Then Butch throws the boxing match. Then in "The Bonnie Situation," Vincent tells Jules, "Do you feel like having breakfast?" Then they go to the diner, and you know what happens. Vincent is the films main character, and without him there wouldn't have been a movie because he started all the problems. Ask yourself these questions while viewing this. Why DON'T Vincent and Jules die in the apartment? Why DO Vincent and Marvin die after "Devine Intervention?" Why does Jules let Ringo LIVE? Why does Butch go back to SAVE Wallace's life? What is in the BRIEFCASE? Tarantino wasn't lazy when writing and directing this film. The more you watch it, the more likely you'll have the answers to these questions and more. You need to watch it more than two times to understand it. If you didn't like it the first time, give it another try. This movie is NOT bad, overrated, boring or too long like some people say. The actors are great and perfect for thier roles. Any real movie fan will agree with me. People ask me what the movie is about and its difficult to say. It's about a lot of things like honor, pride, luck, faith and redemption.This is my favorite and the greatest movie ever made!"

Love it or hate it but you can't ignore it

Robert Morris | Dallas, Texas | 09/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Almost everyone I know who has seen this film either loves it or hates it but all agree that it is almost impossible to take your eyes off of the screen. Pulp Fiction not only attracts our attention, it demands it. Much credit must be given to director Quentin Tarantino who co-authored the Academy Award winning best original screenplay with Roger Avary. The influences on his development as a filmmaker are too numerous to list here but it is worth noting that Orson Welles, Daffy Duck, Akiro Kurosawa, Dashiell Hammett, Spike Lee, and Francois Truffaut would be on it. Many believe that this film saved John Travolta's career. His portrayal of the dangerous but somewhat dimwitted hit man, Vincent Vega, is brilliant. In fact, Tarantino assembled an outstanding cast and somehow coordinated the various plots in which they are involved. Destinies intersect, sometimes causing violent collisions. The film's accelerated pace, however, does not preclude "eye of the hurricane" moments as when Vincent dances with Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) in a nightclub or when Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) and Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) are held against their will by a psychopath. Tarantino has a very traditional view of film making: He wants vivid PICTURES and he wants them to MOVE. He also cherishes effective use of language, almost to the point that some scenes seem "talky." My guess (only a guess) is that because Tarantino seems to be a compulsive conversationalist, he and members of his cast and crew never stopped talking about Pulp Fiction from the beginning to the end of its production and that many of them are still discussing it nine years after it was first released.This is a nasty, sometimes violent, occasionally hilarious, but never dull film. To those seeing it for the first time who almost immediately become uncomfortable, my advice is to be patient and allow the narrative to continue. You may end up being repulsed. Fair enough. But you may also find yourself enjoying what is deliberately and pre-eminently an unorthodox examination of how MOVING PICTURES can tell a story with compelling impact. For me, the vivid images and my emotional reactions to them dominate the literate, at times loopy dialogue. FYI, the special features provided with the DVD Miramax Collector's Edition include "Pulp Fiction: The Facts" (an original documentary), behind-the-scenes montages, a production design featurette, a Siskel & Ebert At The Movies feature ("The Tarantino Generation"), Tarantino's Cannes Film Festival - Palm d'Or acceptance speech, his appearance on the Charlie Rose Show, and various reviews and articles which discuss the film."